Kitchen Chat – Page 31 – Rebekah Lyn Books

Moon Landing 45th Anniversary

The countdown to the forty-fifth anniversary of the Moon Landing and the release of Jessie has begun!

Forty five years ago the world watched as Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong blasted off from Kennedy Space Center with the moon as their goal. Would they be able to land, what would the moon be like? Four days later they did indeed land as the world watched breathless for that first step. I wonder what astronaut Michael Collins was thinking as they journeyed to the moon. Would he have the courage to leave his friends behind if they were not able to return to the command module? Aldrin and Armstrong are the ones most remembered but I think the most difficult part of the mission was Michael Collins role. His book, Carrying the Fire is on Amazon if you would like to learn more. If you have memories or thoughts about the moon landing, would love to hear from you in comments below!!

I grew up in Titusville, directly across the river from Kennedy Space Center. The space industry has always been a part of my life. As the shuttle program began to wind down, I decided to learn more about how it began. After two years of research and interviews, my new release Jessie was born.

Here are some snippets from readers:

Usually, I am not one to read books that are based in flying or space, but I am thrilled that I took the chance with this book.

Lyn does a great job of capturing not only the joy and innocence of the era, but also the darker subtext of pain and loss that came with every stride forward. The book culminates with the walk on the moon, as seen through Jessie’s eyes—and ends on the same high note of exhilaration felt by the entire nation at that moment.

I truly did love this read. The comradery shared amongst his brothers was more than amazing. I can only imagine the life in that time…being a mother working 3 jobs in a house with 4 teenage sons. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good story.

loved the positive male influences that Jessie had in his life. The respect these boys showed to their teachers, mother, and even father

If you would like to purchase Jessie, my talented cover designer, Laura Wright LaRouche of LLPIX created these awesome buy buttons.

Amazon

iBooks

Smashwords

Beat the Heat Blog Hop

Thanks for joining me for the Beat the Heat Blog Hop. I have been invited to join a blog hop with several other writers by my friend, the lovely Barbara Brink. With temperatures rising into the 90s this week and little desire to spend time outside in the heat, I thought this would be a great time to do some hopping. If you haven’t read any of Barbara’s books yet, I recommend the Frederickson Winery series. I flew through all three books and enjoyed getting to know the characters.

Visit Barbara at her blog

Barbara Brink.com

Continue reading “Beat the Heat Blog Hop”

Biographies and Contest

Biographies are obviously popular, we see a new celebrity promoting their book nearly every month. It’s human nature to want to get inside another person’s head, to understand what makes them tick.

The first biography I remember reading was Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia, a little light summer reading for a high school kid. I was fascinated with Russian society and drank in every detail of this doomed couple. Since then, I’ve read a number of other biographies, but as I write this, I am realizing that almost all of them were on political figures. I guess that makes sense, though, considering my love of history and desire to learn from the past to make better choices in the future.

Recently, though, I read The Soul of it All, the memoir of singer/songwriter Michael Bolton. I’ve been a fan for many years and knew a bit about his struggle to achieve the success he has, but this book gave me a new appreciation for his dedication to his passion. It is admirable Mr. Bolton was so candid about his struggles.

I love writing, and when I’m in the zone on a book I feel freer than anywhere else. Even when I’m not actually writing the zone can continue as the world I am creating takes over my brain. I love that feeling, but I don’t know if I could give up all the security I have achieved through my day job to focus solely on my writing. Mr. Bolton faced eviction and hunger more than once pursuing his passion. How often do we encounter someone with that kind of drive and confidence in their abilities? Too often I hear stories on the news or even in the office of people complaining about life not being fair, that they deserve more than they have. I’ve even been guilty of this myself, but this book was a good reminder that hard work is truly the key to success. I plan to keep the book near my writing area to help me remember good things do come to those who persevere and, of course, to make me smile at the sight of one of my favorite artists.

Just for fun, is there someone you would like to read a biography on that doesn’t have one out yet? Share their name and why in comments and you could be the winner of a pre-order of my upcoming release Jessie

The four Cole boys suffer abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father, while largely being left to their own devices by a heartbroken and overworked mother. Their adventures on their island home have become a welcome escape, and one of the only things in life the boys can truly rely on. Jessie, the youngest and a dreamer, becomes enamored with US plans for manned space flight and its race to the moon, stirring his own dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. In a strange twist of fate, it is the space program and the momentum it gains that abruptly brings their beloved island life to an end. The family is forced to move to the city and start anew. — Releasing July 20.2014

I Have a Secret

I will tell you a little secret about myself. I’m a Michael Bolton fan. It’s been several years since I last had a chance to see him in concert, so when a friend called me last fall to let me know he was going to be in Jacksonville this past Friday, I was more than a little excited. The day tickets went on sale I was texting another friend to see if he wanted attend the show with me. He never got back to me, so when I went online and found one seat on the front row, I admit, I ditched my friend. If he really wanted to go, we could find him his own seat somewhere else in the theater.

I’ve had the ticket for close to six months and yet it still seems like just a few days ago I was ordering it. The show was at the Florida Theater, a venue I never had a chance to visit during my college years in Jacksonville, but had always wanted to. The theater itself is gorgeous. I arrived just as the doors were opening and had time to enjoy the architecture, feeling like I was in one of the grand old theaters on Broadway.

The show was phenomenal, of course. I was sad that I didn’t have a real camera with me, only my iPhone, which never seems to take great pictures when I really want it to. The lady next to me was on her own as well and we chatted about the theater and other shows she’d seen there. Afterward, I got up the nerve to ask her if she would email me a couple of photos. She had a nice camera and had gotten some excellent photos. She took my email address and I really hope she sends me even just one picture. It seems a shame to have been so close and not have a photo to prove it.

I was close enough for eye contact!!

So happy to have my CDs signed

I’m amazed at how much social media has changed the rules at concerts. Another show I went to before Christmas was not only encouraging photo taking, but provided a hashtag to share the photos so the radio station sponsoring the show could do a photo round up. I will certainly be better prepared for my next concert.

Since I was in Jacksonville anyway, I decided to make a weekend of it, staying at a friend’s condo right on the beach. Something about being able to open up the patio doors and hear the ocean makes me feel free of all the entanglements of life. I was able to whiz through ten chapters of edits on Jessie and read a good portion of my mindless chick-lit book. I feel more energized and ideas about how to promote this next book are starting to take shape. A good concert, a great view, and I’m feeling refreshed and ready to take on the riggers of publishing again. Be sure to check back soon for a sneak peek at the first chapters of Jessie.